Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAxilla InjurySpiral Groove InjuryPosterior InterosseousSuperficial NeuropathyPrognosis/TreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Axilla Injury
Spiral Groove Injury
Posterior Interosseous
Superficial Neuropathy
Prognosis/Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
The radial nerve runs down the arm and to the fingertips. If it’s injured, radial nerve pain usually occurs when your palm is pressed against something and your wrist is bent back.
Along its path to your fingertips, the radial nerve sends messages to muscles in your arm and hand to trigger movement. It receives sensory messages to send back to the spinal cord and brain allowing you to feel sensations. Depending on where the nerve damage occurs, sensory and motor (movement) symptoms can vary.
This article discusses the different locations of radial nerve injuries and the symptoms you may have with each. It also covers how these injuries usually happen, what the prognosis is, and how they are treated.
Verywell / Gary Ferster
Injury at the Axilla
The radial nerve branches from thebrachial plexus, a network of nerves at the root of the neck. It then travels under the arm close to the armpit (axilla). Improper use of crutches is a common cause of radial nerve compression at this point.
Symptoms can include the following:
Walking Safely With Crutches
Injury at the Spiral Groove
From the axilla, the radial nerve travels down the arm and wraps around thehumerus(the large bone between the shoulder and elbow). It’s situated in a channel known as the spiral groove. The nerve can become compressed within this groove.
Symptoms of a spinal groove injury include the following:
Posterior Interosseous Nerve Injury
Just before the elbow, a section of the radial nerve branches off to the posteriorinterosseousnerve. This is responsible for straightening muscles below the elbow.
Symptoms include the following:
Superficial Radial Neuropathy
The radial nerve passes the elbow and continues down to the back of the hand, where it serves a purely sensory function.
At that point, the nerve is most susceptible to injury at the wrist. This could happen when the wrists are bound or handcuffs are worn too tightly.
Prognosis and Treatment
When a radial nerve injury is diagnosed, treatment is usually conservative and includes:
Recovery time can range from a couple of weeks to six months.If your pain and disability don’t improve, your healthcare provider may order tests. These can include nerve conduction studies, which test for nerve damage, orelectromyography (EMG), which looks at your muscles’ electrical activity.
You may need surgery if the nerve is:
Recap
Summary
Radial nerve injuries can occur in different parts of the arm, causing different symptoms based on the location. They can occur in areas from near the armpit (axilla) to around the wrist (superficial radial neuropathy).
An injury near the armpit can cause arm weakness, particularly in the back of your arm. Injuries in the spinal groove can make it difficult to bend your wrist back or open your hand.
Injuries to the posterior interosseous nerve can make it impossible to extend your fingers. And an injury at the wrist can cause numbness through the thumb or pins-and-needles sensations in the hand.
Treatment for radial nerve injuries may include wrist splints, over-the-counter pain medication, physical therapy, or surgery. Injuries can take a couple of weeks or up to six months to heal.
The Anatomy of the Radial Nerve
Your primary care doctor or aneurologistwill usually evaluate and treat radial nerve pain. If you need surgery, you will see a hand surgeon.
Hand surgeons can be orthopedic surgeons,neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, or general surgeons who are subspecialized in hand operations.
Learn MoreHow to Treat Peripheral Neuropathy
Full recovery after radial tunnel release is expected to take between about six and eight months for most people. However, if the nerve has been extensively damaged before surgery, it can take longer than that.
Yes, it is possible—but rare—for injections to injure the radial nerve.Radial nerve damage has been reported following numerous procedures, including vein punctures and intramuscular injections.
To avoid triggering your radial nerve pain when you’re trying to sleep:
Also, ask your healthcare provider if wearing a wrist or elbow splint at night might help alleviate your pain.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Latef TJ, Bilal M, Vetter M, Iwanaga J, Oskouian RJ, Tubbs RS.Injury of the radial nerve in the arm: a review.Cureus. 2018;10(2):e2199. doi:10.7759/cureus.2199
Ljungquist KL, Martineau P, Allan C.Radial nerve injuries.J Hand Surg Am. 2015;40(1):166-172. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.05.010
Chaudhry S, Ipaktchi KR, Ignatiuk A.Updates on and controversies related to management of radial nerve injuries.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019;27(6):e280-e284. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00325
Washington University Physicians.Sleep positioning and nerve compression syndromes.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Radial nerve dysfunction.
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